Objective To investigate the current status of symptom burden and psychological distress among lung cancer patients in the diagnostic phase, and to explore the chain mediating role of social support and resilience between symptom burden and psychological distress. Methods The patients with lung cancer in the diagnostic phase who were treated in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from October 2022 to June 2023 were investigated by a general information questionnaire using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory, the Social Support Rating Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Distress Thermometer. The chain mediating role of social support and resilience between symptom burden and psychological distress was analyzed. Results A total of 413 lung cancer patients were enrolled, including 173 males and 240 females, aged (54.69±10.82) years. The detection rate of psychological distress among lung cancer patients in the diagnostic phase was 48.18%, and the average score was (3.84±2.50) points. Psychological distress was positively correlated with symptom burden (P<0.01), and negatively correlated with social support and resilience (P<0.01). The mediating effect of resilience between symptom burden and psychological distress was significant. The chain mediating effect of social support and resilience between symptom burden and psychological distress was also significant. Conclusion Lung cancer patients in the diagnostic phase have a high detection rate of psychological distress. Symptom burden can directly impact psychological distress, and can affect psychological distress through the indirect path of resilience as well as the chain mediating path between social support and resilience among lung cancer patients in the diagnostic phase.

Background::Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination are a priority in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, limited information is available on vaccination coverage among patients with acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) in China. This study aimed to determine the rates and associated factors of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in patients hospitalized with AECOPD.Methods::Baseline data from a national, multicenter, hospital-based study that included adult inpatients with AECOPD between 2017 and 2021 were analyzed. The outcomes of interest were the influenza vaccination in the past year and the pneumococcal vaccination in the past 5 years. To ensure national representativeness, rates were weighted according to the distribution of hospital levels and types enrolled in this study. Multivariable Poisson regression based on mixed-effects models were used to determine the associated factors. The independent variables included the region and hospital features where the participants were located, sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, rural/urban residence, education, etc.), and clinical indicators (COPD disease history, lung function parameters, comorbidities, etc.). The treatment profiles of the vaccinated and unvaccinated participants were compared.Results::Of 6949 eligible participants, the weighted rates of influenza/pneumococcal, influenza, and pneumococcal vaccination were 2.72% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.34%-3.10%), 2.09% (95% CI: 1.76%-2.43%), and 1.25% (95% CI: 0.99%-1.51%), respectively. In multivariable models, age ≥60 years (60-69 years, odds ratio [OR]: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.11-3.25; ≥80 years, OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.06-3.78), geographical regions (Northern China relative to Eastern China, OR: 5.09, 95% CI: 1.96-13.21), urban residence (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.07-2.66), a higher education level (junior high school, OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.21-2.58; senior high school or above, OR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.69-4.03), former smoking (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.15-2.79), and regular inhaled medication treatment (OR: 3.28, 95% CI: 2.29-4.70) were positively associated with vaccination. Patients who had experienced severe exacerbations in the past year were less likely to be vaccinated (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45-0.96). Compared with unvaccinated participants, vaccinated participants adhered better to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment.Conclusions::Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination coverage are extremely low. Urgent measures are necessary to increase vaccination coverage among inpatients with AECOPD in China.

Background::Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a severe and acute cardiovascular syndrome with high mortality among patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRDs). Accurate prediction and timely intervention play a pivotal role in enhancing survival rates. However, there is a notable scarcity of practical early prediction and risk assessment systems of PE in patients with AIIRD.Methods::In the training cohort, 60 AIIRD with PE cases and 180 age-, gender-, and disease-matched AIIRD non-PE cases were identified from 7254 AIIRD cases in Tongji Hospital from 2014 to 2022. Univariable logistic regression (LR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to select the clinical features for further training with machine learning (ML) methods, including random forest (RF), support vector machines (SVM), neural network (NN), logistic regression (LR), gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT), classification and regression trees (CART), and C5.0 models. The performances of these models were subsequently validated using a multicenter validation cohort.Results::In the training cohort, 24 and 13 clinical features were selected by univariable LR and LASSO strategies, respectively. The five ML models (RF, SVM, NN, LR, and GBDT) showed promising performances, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.962-1.000 in the training cohort and 0.969-0.999 in the validation cohort. CART and C5.0 models achieved AUCs of 0.850 and 0.932, respectively, in the training cohort. Using D-dimer as a pre-screening index, the refined C5.0 model achieved an AUC exceeding 0.948 in the training cohort and an AUC above 0.925 in the validation cohort. These results markedly outperformed the use of D-dimer levels alone.Conclusion::ML-based models are proven to be precise for predicting the onset of PE in patients with AIIRD exhibiting clinical suspicion of PE.Trial Registration::Chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR2200059599.

Objective:To investigate the genetic and evolutionary characteristics of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of influenza B/Victoria (BV) virus in Xi′an city from 2019 to 2023.Methods:Twenty-five BV strains isolated from the Xi′an influenza surveillance network laboratory between 2019 and 2023 were collected. The HA and NA genes were sequenced using MiniSeq high-throughput sequencing platform. An evolutionary tree was constructed using bioinformatics software to analyze homology and mutation sites, and to predict N-glycosylation sites online. The antigenicity of the strains was analyzed through hemagglutination inhibition tests.Results:The BV influenza in Xi′an exhibited a distinct seasonal transmission pattern from 2019 to 2023, with peak prevalence occurring during the winter and spring seasons. The evolutionary analysis of the HA genes shows that the strains from Xi′an in 2019 belong to the V1A.3 branch, and the strains from 2021 to 2023 belong to the V1A.3a.2 branch. Analysis of antigenic sites showed that there were variations in 6 sites of 3 antigenic determinants in the HA proteins of the BV strains from 2021-2022 compared to 2019, and 2 sites of 1 antigenic determinant changed in the HA proteins in 2023 compared to 2021-2022. The evolutionary analysis of the NA genes indicates that the BV strains from Xi′an in 2019 belong to the A. 1.1 branch. By 2021 and 2022, it had evolved into the A. 1.2 clade, and by 2023, it had further evolved into the B clade and its derivatives, with no strains showing mutations associated with resistance to NA inhibitors. Antigenic analysis indicated that the majority of BV strains in Xi′an were similar to the strains included in the vaccine composition. Furthermore, glycosylation analysis showed that the potential N-glycosylation sites in the HA proteins of BV strains from 2021-2023 were reduced by one compared to those from 2019, and only a few strains from 2023 displayed alterations in the potential N-glycosylation sites of the NA proteins.Conclusions:The HA and NA genes of the BV strains from 2019 to 2023 are continuously mutating and evolving into new branches. Since 2021, V1A.3a.2 has become the dominant evolutionary branch of the HA genes, while the evolutionary branches of the NA genes from 2019 to 2023 have been continuously changing.

Objective:To evaluate efficacy of safflower polysaccharide in treatment of thymic atrophy induced by estradiol in mice.Methods:A total of 75 female ICR mice were divided into 5 groups:control group,model group,ubenimex group,SPS high dose group,SPS low dose group.Except for control group,each group was given intraperitoneal injection of estradiol benzoate every other day for 6 times.Treatment group began administration 24 h after the last parenteral administration,once a day for 10 days.Mice were sacrificed 24 hours after the last administration,and body weight,immune organ index,MDA and GST levels in plasma,periph-eral blood cells and T cells changes were observed,thymus tissue was stained by HE staining and TUNEL cell apoptosis staining,and thymus output capacity was detected.Results:Both high and low doses of safflower polysaccharide significantly improved thymus index(P<0.05)in mice,increased leukocytes level in peripheral blood(P<0.05),proportions of CD3+CD4+T,CD3+CD8+T cells(P<0.05)and CD4+T/CD8+T,improved thymus tissue damage.High dose of safflower polysaccharide could significantly reduce apoptosis in thymus tissue and enhance thymus output.Conclusion:Safflower polysaccharide has a certain therapeutic effect on estradiol-induced thymus atrophy in mice.

A quartz crystal microbalance(QCM)-systematic evolution of ligands by the exponential en-richment(SELEX)technique was developed to screen out aptamers with high affinity for arsenic(Ⅲ).A random single strand DNA library was designed and fixed on the mercaptoethylamine-modified crystal plate with arsenic(Ⅲ)as the target,and the free aptamer was captured in the solution,and the QCM-SELEX screening method was constructed.After 6 rounds of screening,the secondary library was se-quenced with high throughput method,and the 6S1 dissociation coefficient Kd value was 0.36 μmol/L based on QCM resonance frequency.Using 6S1 as a probe,the QCM biosensor was constructed for the detection of arsenic(Ⅲ).The sensor has a good linear relationship in the range of 0.01 μmol/L～0.2μmol/L,and the detection limit of arsenic(Ⅲ)is 5.2 nmol/L(3σ),indicatinggood selectivity.

Objective:To analyze the genetic evolution and molecular characteristics of H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV) isolated in a live poultry market.Methods:Samples such as poultry feces, sewage, and hair removal machine and chopping board swabs were collected. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect influenza A virus and H7N9 AIV in the samples. The whole genome of H7N9 AIV was amplified with influenza A virus universal primers and sequenced. BLAST and MEGA X were used for sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization.Results:Seven poultry-related environment samples were collected in the live poultry market in Xuchang city in February 2023, and four were positive for H7N9 AIV. The whole genome sequences of three H7N9 AIV isolates were successfully obtained, and the isolates shared high nucleotide identity in different genes (98.37%-100.00%). BLAST analysis showed they were highly identical to H7N9 strains isolated from domestic poultry in China from 2020 to 2021. Genetic evolution analysis showed that the three isolates clustered in the same branch and were closer to the recent environmental isolates than to the recent strains isolated from human or avian. Through comparison with the sequences of the representative strains in different periods, it was found that the isolated strains in this study showed high avian pathogenicity with four amino acids KRAA inserted at the cleavage site; the hemagglutinin receptor-binding site was QSG, which was an avian binding receptor; there was a G186I mutation in hemagglutinin. Mammalian-adaptive mutation E627K was not detected in polymerase basic protein 2. Mutations (R292K and I38T) associated with drug resistance to neuraminidase inhibitor (oseltamivir) and polymerase acidic protein inhibitor (baloshavir) were not detected, suggesting that these isolates remained susceptible to these drugs. A S31N mutation was found in M2 protein, indicating they were resistant to alkamines.Conclusions:The three H7N9 AIV strains isolated in the live poultry market have high avian pathogenicity, but there are no significant increase in mutations related to the binding ability to human receptors, mammalian pathogenicity, viral transmissibility, or drug resistance as compared with previous representative strains causing human or avian infection.

Objective:To analyze the reinfection rates in people previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Zhengzhou and Yuzhou cities (first infected with Delta/B.1.617.2 variant), and Anyang city (first infected with Omicron/BA.1.1 variant) in January 2022 and the population characteristics, and compare the differences in antibody levels among different populations.Methods:Serum samples were collected from 371 previously infected, 134 reinfected and 19 uninfected people for IgG antibody detection. Among them, serum samples from 45 previously infected, 44 reinfected and 19 uninfected people were tested with different novel coronavirus variants (early original strain, BA.5.2 variant, XBB.1.5 variant) for neutralizing antibody detection.Results:The rate of reinfection was 32.82% (85/259) in Zhengzhou and Yuzhou cities, and 19.92% (49/246) in Anyang city. The IgG antibody level in reinfected people was higher than that in previously infected and uninfected people ( P<0.05). The IgG antibody level in uninfected group was higher in people vaccinated within three months than in those vaccinated six months ago ( P<0.05). The IgG antibody level in the group receiving four doses of vaccine was higher than that in the group receiving three doses of vaccine ( P<0.05). The results of true virus neutralization antibody detection showed that in the Zhengzhou and Yuzhou cases, the level of neutralization antibody against the early original strain was higher than those against the BA.5.2 variant and the XBB.1.5 variant ( P<0.05), and the level of neutralizing antibody against BA.5.2 variant was higher than that against XBB.1.5 variant ( P<0.05). In Anyang city cases, the level of neutralizing antibody against the early original strain was higher than those against BA.5.2 variant and XBB.1.5 variant ( P<0.05); in the reinfected population, the level of neutralizing antibody against the early original strain was higher than that against the XBB.1.5 variant ( P<0.05). In addition, the levels of all neutralizing antibodies in both previously infected and reinfected people were higher than those in uninfected people ( P<0.05). The level of neutralizing antibody in the infected population in Zhengzhou and Yuzhou cities was higher than that in the infected population in Anyang city and in uninfected population ( P<0.05). The levels of antibodies against BA.5.2 and anti-XBB.1.5 variants in infected people in Zhengzhou and Yuzhou cities were higher than those in uninfected people ( P<0.05). The level of neutralizing antibody against BA.5.2 variants in the previously infected population in Anyang city was higher than that in the uninfected population ( P<0.05), and the level of neutralizing antibody against XBB.1.5 variants in the infected population in Anyang city was higher than that in the uninfected population ( P<0.05). Conclusions:After infection with SARS-CoV-2, the neutralizing antibodies produced in the human body have a certain cross-protection effect on other variants, but the antibody level will gradually decrease over time. Protection from a previous early SARS-CoV-2 variants infection against the current main circulating Omicron variants (such as XBB variants) is low, and the immunity conferred by pervious infection or booster vaccination may not be able to provide sufficient protection against new variants.

Objective:To investigate the safety, feasibility and accuracy of esophageal sponge cytology in esophageal carcinoma screening in high-incidence districts.Methods:Opportunistic screening for esophageal carcinoma was conducted on individuals aged 40-75 years with high-risk factors for esophageal carcinoma and visited out-patient clinic in Lianshui People's Hospital from May 2021 to June 2022. A new esophageal cell collector independently developed in China was used for esophageal sponge cytology sampling followed by cytopathological analysis. Atypical squamous cells or more severe lesions were defined as positive esophageal sponge cytology. Then gastroscopy was performed, and all suspicious areas under the endoscopy were biopsied for histopathological examination. Gastroscopy, biopsy histopathology and esophageal sponge cytology were conducted blindly in pairs. Outcome measures included adverse reactions during sampling, subject tolerability (using a visual simulation score), sampling quality, and diagnostic efficacy of esophageal sponge cytology using gastroscopy plus biopsy histopathology as the gold standard.Results:A total of 1 590 patients completed the screening program. During esophageal sponge cytology sampling, no serious adverse events were observed, and the adverse reactions were mainly manifested as vomiting during sampling [0.31% (5/1 590)] and sore throat after sampling [2.45% (39/1 590)], all of which resolved spontaneously without further medical intervention. The majority of subjects [98.62% (1 568/1 590)] reported good tolerance during the procedure. After sampling, 1 526 (95.97%) subjects had completely expanded sponge material, meeting the standard of good sampling quality. The scanning analysis of the digital pathology system showed that the number of sampled cells in 1 590 subjects ranged (2.01-4.00)×10 6, with a median of 3.48×10 6 cells, which could meet the requirements for interpreting cytological results. Using the positive esophageal sponge cytology for the diagnosis of esophageal carcinoma including high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 98.57% (69/70), 91.51% (1 391/1 520), 34.85% (69/198), 99.93% (1 391/1 392), and 91.82% (1 460/1 590), respectively. Conclusion:Esophageal sponge cytology presents promising diagnostic efficacy for esophageal carcinoma screening, offering a simple, safe, convenient, and effective approach in high-incidence esophageal carcinoma regions.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Panax notoginsenosides in the treatment of sepsis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.Methods The action targets of total saponins of Panax notoginsenosides were obtained by searching the databases of TCMSP,Swiss Target Prediciton and PharmMapper,and the disease-related targets of sepsis were searched in the databases of Genecard,Drugbank,Disgenet and OMIM.The selected targets of total saponins of Panax notoginsenosides were intersected with the disease-related targets of sepsis,which were used as potential targets for the treatment of sepsis.The protein-protein interaction(PPI)network of potential targets was constructed by STRING database,and the key targets were screened;the potential targets were analyzed by GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis,and the drug-disease-target-pathway network was constructed;the molecular docking of five monomer saponins of Panax notoginsenosides and the key targets of Panax notoginsenosides in the treatment of sepsis was studied by AutoDock Vina software.Results A total of 206 potential targets of Panax notoginsenosides in the treatment of sepsis were obtained,and key targets such as AKT1,TP53,SRC,STAT3,JUN,TNF,IL6,MAPK1,PIK3R1 and IL1B were screened.A total of 2 548 biological process(BP)items,174 molecular function(MF)items and 47 cellular component(CC)items were obtained by GO functional enrichment analysis of potential targets,and 171 signal pathways were obtained by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.The main active components of Panax notoginsenosides R1,ginsenoside Rg1,ginsenoside Re,ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside Rd have strong binding activity with key targets AKT1,TP53,STAT3,SRC and JUN.Conclusion Panax notoginsenosides may act on the main signal pathways such as PI3K-Akt and AGE-RAGE through the key targets such as AKT1,TP53,SRC,STAT3 and TNF,and then affect the physiological processes such as inflammation,apoptosis and blood coagulation in sepsis,and play a role in the treatment of sepsis.